We have 3 male crowned lemurs here at Paignton Zoo, they co-habit with our ring-tailed lemurs in Lemur Woods.
The 3 males have moved here recently from our sister zoo, Newquay Zoo.
Crowned lemurs live in dry, deciduous forest and rainforest of mid-altitude in northern Madagascar.
They mostly eat fruit and leaves, sometimes vertebrates and bird eggs. On occasion they will also eat flowers, pollen, and insects.
Interesting facts!
- Crowned lemurs get their name from the crown-like pattern on their heads. Males have a distinctive orange crown, while females have a subtler grey or brown version.
- They’re one of the smaller lemur species – adults weigh about 1 to 2 kilograms and are around 30–35 cm long, with tails just as long or longer!
- Crowned lemurs are social animals, living in groups of 5 to 15. They often form female-led groups, which is common among lemurs.
- They are cathemeral, meaning they are active both during the day and at night, depending on food availability and temperature.
- They communicate with a variety of clicks, grunts, and chirps – each sound has a different meaning!
Conservation
Crowned lemurs are classified as Endangered, with fewer than 10,000 individuals left in the wild. Their survival is threatened by habitat loss due to forest fires, farming, logging, and development. Although they live in four protected areas in northern Madagascar, these habitats are fragmented, limiting their movement and breeding. Sadly, illegal logging, grazing, and hunting still occur even within these reserves, putting additional pressure on their already vulnerable population.